I’ll also cover some relevant pending legislation and add some fuel to the fire by talking about medical cannabis.

To recap, hemp, from which CBD is extracted, comes from fertilized hemp/cannabis plants. Cannabis, in turn, is created by eliminating all the male plants so that the females produce a sticky resin to attract pollination. That resin contains more of the THC that cannabis users are looking for.

CBD Benefits

There's something to be gained by adding modern science to the older pharmacology of herbology.

I’ve said that many of the health benefits of cannabis lie in the modern extract called CBD. As an example, short term memory problems are common with THC. A 2010 study found that CBD eliminated that problem. It used the high CBD/low THC plants that were available at that time. The researchers attributed this attenuation of memory to CBD's role as a C-1 antagonist.

In plain English, that means that THC fits into the C-1 receptor in the cerebral cortex. CBD fits into the C-2 receptor, but has the effect of minimizing the effects from the C-1 receptor. It provides more medical benefits without the ‘high’ from THC.

CBD has strong antioxidant properties. It has neuroprotective and anti-ischemic* effects. The US government, however, has insisted that cannabis has no medical benefits. At the same time, they took out patent 6,630,507, giving themselves the right to the antioxidant properties of cannabis (which they still claim don’t exist). They didn’t extend that patent to CBD, so it will remain available.

*Ischemia is caused by problems with blood vessels. It brings resultant damage to, or dysfunction of the tissues. It also refers to local anemia in a given part of a body, sometimes resulting from congestion. That would include vasoconstriction, thrombosis or embolism (blood clots).

Prescription Drug Deaths

What if you could reduce opioid-related prescription drug deaths in the US by 15,000 or more? It’s not even difficult, believe it or not.

Deaths from drug overdoses (drug poisoning) continue to rise. Deaths from opioid analgesics increased from 4,030 in 1999 to 15,597 in 2009 and 16,651 in 2010. In 2010, 60 percent of all drug overdose deaths (22,134) involved pharmaceutical drugs. Opioid analgesics showed up in about 3 of every 4 pharmaceutical overdose deaths. That confirms the predominant role opioid analgesics play in drug-related mortality (Jones et al. 2013).

CBD gives a similar pain reduction to many opioid prescription drugs. Morphine, hydrocodone, and oxycodone are examples. It’s not as strong as those, but it can bolster the effects while containing less toxicity, to achieve the best effect. If opioids are necessary, both cannabis and CBD can reduce the amount required.

Most opioid-addicted patients started out looking for relief from pain. In a certain, small percentage of patients, that escalates into a mental form of habitation with MMJ. When CBD solves the pain, you don’t have the issue of addiction developing. There is no receptor for it that would produce true addiction.

The experience of withdrawal can reduce to mild discomfort or be eliminated completely. CBD could play a major role in getting athletes off the painkiller express that’s been common in too many locker rooms, and which the DEA has gotten around to investigating. Extra source links on that are listed below.

Cannabis and CBD

Cannabis/hemp is a remarkable plant. Every part of it can help make a wide variety of things, including biofuel and medicine. Anything that can be made of plastic, can be made from hemp oil, which is also good for health. The plant fibers are long and tough, and can be woven into a soft cloth that wears well. Copies of the Declaration of Independence were written on cannabis paper, since it doesn’t yellow with age like other papers do.

During the Revolutionary War, soldiers were paid with both tobacco and cannabis. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, among others, encouraged farmers to grow more hemp. It was for needed items from rope to paper, as well as clothing and ships’ sails. The Egyptians were using hemp sails on the Nile at least 3,000-4,000 years ago. It could help reboot our economy today.

During WWII, American farmers were asked to grow as much hemp as possible. When it ended, the government went back to outlawing it. They claimed that using it would weaken our youth and make them more susceptible to Communism (I couldn’t make this up). There’s not a lot of rational thought going on there.

The fertilized form of cannabis - hemp - grows in most climates with little water needed. It has a wide variety of uses, but it doesn’t create more than trace amounts of THC. Most of the US is still saddled with laws that are out of date and based on inaccurate research (if any) regarding hemp. Recently, the DEA stopped and impounded a truckload of legal hemp seeds. It was headed for the research department of the University of Kentucky.

The university then launched a suit against the DEA, and the federal government made the DEA return the hemp to the U of K. That’s how weird this has gotten. Colorado has had the same issue with a truckload of legal hemp seeds that was stopped and held by the DEA on its way from Canada.

These incidents involving hemp seeds helped provide a final impetus toward the House and Senate working to formulate a states rights' law on MMJ. The House has passed such a bill, and it awaits a vote in the Senate. If passed, the law would reach President Obama’s desk and strip a lot of power from the DEA.

They wouldn't be able to interfere in states that have cannabis laws in place. There would be no more meddling or attacks on co-ops and dispensaries by the DEA - in theory, at least. There are also pro-CBD laws in process.

Growing hemp would benefit any state that has an agricultural aspect to its economy. We currently pay a premium to import hemp seeds, which is absurd. Biofuel made from hemp seeds is less expensive and more effective than ethanol derived from corn, which requires a lot of water and uses nearly as much energy as it provides at the gas pump. Touting ethanol as an effective way to combat our addiction to oil is mostly balderdash.

Some of CBD's effects do leave a smile on one's face. Many of its effects and mechanisms are listed here; for those interested in pharmacology and chemistry, it's a good starting point. Yet, while a good start, this is not cutting edge work; most news sources are out of date to some degree by publication date. The field is exploding with new discoveries. Even so, this gives some helpful background information. It also mentions more precise receptor and antagonist actions.

Some cannabis extracts can help to cure heroin addiction, alcoholism, and other true addictions. CBD can reduce the symptoms of MS and cerebral palsy, as can MMJ. MS patients who were having violent muscle spasms have been filmed used cannabis (see Part I). They became relaxed and comfortable after doing so. There are times when medical grade cannabis and THC are more effective than CBD.

The neuroprotective capabilities of CBD make it effective against epilepsy and cerebral palsy. It makes surviving chemotherapy more likely and less horrific. Some aspects within cannabis appear to treat or even prevent certain cancers.

CBD can also treat depression, and PTSD treatments employing it are showing undeniable progress. The trials are in their early stages; I look forward to their finished publication.

Nothing is perfect. Yet this step forward isn’t unlike the effects of Louis Pasteur developing penicillin. It will open new doors in medicine. The process of getting the research done will take time. Early research shows that the benefits will be worth it. CBD isn’t expensive to create. A lot of folks who have the interest will be growing plants that yield that same ratio of THC to CBD at home within a few years at most.

A Short History of Cannabis

About 2,700 years ago, in Persia, the spiritual teacher Zoroaster penned a sacred text of about 10,000 plants. He included marijuana at the top of the compendium, due to its vast clinical applications.

Queen Victoria's physician, Sir Russell Reynolds - who was one of the world's leading doctors of that era - prescribed medical cannabis for the Queen's menstrual cramps and for other symptoms. Today, the Queen could be thrown in jail for using it. It's still effective for those problems today, but the rules have changed. Writing about medical marijuana in the first edition of the British medical journal The Lancet, Reynolds said it’s “one of the most valuable medicines we possess.”

Sir William Osler, widely hailed as one of the best physicians in the world at that time, used it for migraines with excellent results.

The father of French psycho-pharmacology, Dr. Jean-Jacques Moreau de Tours, used the plant in the treatment of depression. The US government has admitted that it is safe and helpful to treat that condition today.

Many of the modern drugs that are used for the same purpose have dreadful side effects and can be dangerous or even fatal. Cannabis has many things to recommend it, including clinical effectiveness, but near the top has to be the fact that in the known history of the world, not one person has ever died from ingesting cannabis. That's a rare thing in pharmacology.

Dr. Donald Tashkin is one of the world’s leading experts in lung function. After 30 years of study, he could find no reason to keep cannabis prohibited.

Addiction

There is no evidence at all that CBD is addictive. It has no effect on the consciousness, nor is there a receptor in the brain that would produce an outcome.

The question regarding cannabis addiction, while perfectly valid, has a strange history. I will state that for now, we don’t know that cannabis is addictive. Why?

We know it from the late Dr. Tod Mikuriya, former national administrator of the US Government's marijuana research programs, who is outspoken on the subject. Dr. Mikuriya stated that no other single drug or substance has as many therapeutic benefits as cannabis. He never found a link to addiction.

We know it from Dr. James Hudson, PhD, Professor Emeritus, University of British Columbia Department of Pathology and Lab Medicine, and from dozens of other doctors and studies.

Hudson said pharmaceutical companies have a great incentive to recreate the organic compounds in marijuana and sell a drug from it, rather than just release the all-natural version to the public:

The prime motivation behind any drug company is to make money, and as much money as possible. In the case of a synthetic compound, if it's only an ingredient from the cannabis, they can formulate that as a drug and make a lot more money off of it.

There are dozens of other doctors and similar studies, too many to list here. But Francis Young, an administrative DEA judge, once took medical testimony for over two weeks. At the end of it, on September 6, 1988, he said,

Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man.

There are no receptors that cannabinoids fit into that would create true addiction.

The Boggs Act of 1951 established mandatory sentences for drug users and claimed that cannabis was addictive. New testimony given by Dr. Harris Isbell, Director of Research at the Public Health Service hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, exploded the traditional rationale. He stated that marijuana was not physically addictive.

His research was buried under the new rationale for harsh penalties against offenders of the marijuana laws - that the drug inevitably is the stepping stone to heroin addiction. That remains unproven. The government's actual approach to funding research is elucidated here. In short, if it might be helpful, no research is permitted.

In over 6,000 years of usage in Oriental Medicine, I found that no cases of addiction were reported. The Emperor Fu Hsi called it a popular remedy in 2,900 BC.

In the early 1900s, as part of the Prohibition movement (which often went far beyond alcohol), cannabis was claimed by some (few of them in the medical profession) to be addictive. The recommended treatment, in most cases, was the use of heroin. That sums up the validity of those claims in my eyes.

Dr. Lester Grinspoon, Professor Emeritus at Harvard Medical School, spent most of his professional life studying cannabis, from the 1960s to the first decade of this century. You can read his text, Marihuana: The Forbidden Medicine. He didn’t find a single case of addiction. He also said,

There are no deaths from cannabis use. Anywhere. You can't find one.

But in the 1990s, there was a sudden movement of patients who were ‘addicted’ to cannabis into treatment facilities. A survey done at that time noted that nearly all of them had come from the courts, when judges gave as their ruling a requirement for entering into treatment for addiction or entering prison. It was a simple choice for many.

Later in that decade, though, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) began to fund research that had the goal of ‘proving’ that cannabis is addictive. Rather than find the biochemical pathway by which this was supposedly true - which has never been done - addiction became defined by the presence of some degree of ‘withdrawal’. Since no specific parameters for withdrawal were defined, the studies proved whatever the researchers wanted.

The ugly truth is that the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the agency that oversees 85 percent of the world’s research on controlled substances, is on record stating that its institutional policy is to reject any and all medical marijuana research. “As the National Institute on Drug Abuse, our focus is primarily on the negative consequences of marijuana use,” a NIDA spokesperson told The New York Times in 2010. “We generally do not fund research focused on the potential beneficial medical effects of marijuana.”

Let’s be clear: There are people who shouldn’t use any substance that affects consciousness, cannabis included. They may be among those who are classified as ‘addicted’. People with mental health issues should only use it under a physician’s care. There are anecdotal stories of dire levels of withdrawal, but they are rare and difficult to prove.

When I obtained some of the actual studies, the level of slanting and sloppy research was usually obvious. I will cheerfully change my opinion when and if the biochemical chain that causes withdrawal is proven, and when appropriate research is done. Until then, I remain unconvinced.

Why, after all these millennia, is cannabis suddenly addictive? The higher THC content cannabis that is used for MMJ patients is now available to the public in some states and countries. That could in theory be a factor, but the sudden move to claim addictiveness predated its availability. As a physician, I can’t accept this claim without a reasonable standard of proof. If you run a detox program and insist that a patient is addicted, they will often both believe that and act out of it. I saw that often when working in the detox field. A better standard of proof is required.

Or, patients can try CBD first, and use cannabis if CBD fails.

Prohibition

We’re nearing the end of the pointless government Prohibition model for cannabis. Even many of the conservatives in the House and Senate are jumping on the bandwagon to provide specific legal status for CBD and many, both Republicans and Democrats, for medical marijuana.

In all, over 200 diseases have responded to one or more of the substances, including CBD, that hemp or cannabis contains. I used Lester Grinspoon’s approximate number of the diseases (above) that MMJ treats. I don’t know of anyone with better credentials in the field.

The CBD category is currently the most important substance for the medical cannabis community. I’m one such patient. We’re not interested, as a group, in getting high. CBD won’t do that. We do want to get out of pain. Landslides of recent peer-reviewed studies have shown how well CBD achieves this. There are hundreds of such studies now.

In my case, I’m able to handle longer sessions of work, and my average pain level has diminished. Physically, I’m visibly and noticeably stronger. Continued use of the CBD (combined with other procedures and techniques) allowed me, this week, to lift an 80-pound air conditioner out of the car and place it on a furniture dolly - without pain. I couldn’t lift 20 pounds last year. The wheelchair is now gathering dust in a corner of the garage. That's anecdotal, but for me it's wonderful.

Combining CBD and medical cannabis use with various spinal procedures has been effective in many cases. Anecdotal evidence is how most research starts. A doctor finds benefits in a particular molecule, substance, or procedure, and word gets around. Soon, someone obtains a grant, and research studies are set. The process for better medicine continues.

There’s A Better Way

One option is to legalize cannabis. Questions of its use in athletics, though, may drag on forever. Instead, take a quick look here. Blow up the CannLab paper until you can read it. See the various CBD formulas? Each has benefits that should be researched.

CBD itself treats pain, MS, inflammation, epilepsy, muscle spasms, and dozens of other disorders, including PTSD. To repeat the central issue, CBD is a C-1 receptor antagonist - it reduces or eliminates the high from THC. C-1 is the receptor into which THC fits, which provides the ‘high’.

CBD fits into the C-2 receptor in the cerebral cortex, sparking many health benefits. It changes the neurotransmitter balance for the better. It affects the endocrine and lymphatic systems. There are other receptors for other substances in the plant. All have health benefits, most of which were not explored due to government interference.

The hybridized hemp plant is available, inexpensive, and has shown beneficial effects on many disorders. So has cannabis. Legally, we often can’t research them for lack of funding. Some universities have decided to break that law. Most of our valid research has come in the last five years.

I’m hopeful that more and more parts of the plant will be explored. There is some evidence that certain aspects of cannabis can fight or even prevent certain forms of cancer. That’s just one of the hundreds of possible effects.

Those who use THC need to recognize that the two extracts tend to counter each other. That can be helpful. The CBD is stronger in that encounter, and it will reduce the THC effects of smoking cannabis such as lack of focus and/or short term memory issues. When we look at the side effects of cannabis that have been shown in double-blind, peer reviewed studies, it’s best to recognize that most of them can be eliminated by using common sense and CBD.

To the best of my knowledge, in the vast majority of cases of using CBD, there are no side effects at all. Having the lowest THC level possible will even improve CBD effects. A few patients will probably have some nausea or other mild reactions. I recommend that anyone who considers the product check on them before using it. My experience is that everything ‘new’ will have some unintended consequences.

Although this extract is harmless so far, it may later show some restrictions - everyone’s unique. At this point, what we know is that we can reduce opioid use, their side effects, and the death rate from them.

Let’s use the better option.

Doc

I want to thank Doc Ponderosa for his help. His clarity of vision for the patient is laudable. He teaches his students “to cure sometimes, to heal often, and to comfort always”. More doctors should take that advice. His work on developing that approach within the medical system has been a huge help to me personally, as well as to his other patients. Denny, you’re the best.

Additional Sources:

With the DEA investigation of the NFL’s use of painkillers in its early stages, these may prove informative:

Kubes to coach Texans from press box; McGloin to start over injured Pryor; NFL figures to suspend Walden for headbutt

Although it's a somewhat distinct issue than that of the medical uses of CBD, the advent of criminalization of marijuana in the US is a sordid history that anyone who purports to be knowledgeable with the general subject should familarize themselves with. There's a farcical quality to the process which led to criminalization. And opinion today is often no more well-informed than the blatant propaganda which gave rise to those later negative attitudes.

HOW I BECAME INTERESTED IN THIS ISSUE

I discovered the Shaffer Drug Library while doing general research on 'Big Pharma.' My interest at that point was on the macroeconomics of pharmaceutical companies in the context of their contribution to the cost of healthcare in the US. Although it wasn't available at the time, the article Bitter Pill by Steven Brill is an excellent example of the type of information I was seeking.

There isn't a single resource which demands reading on Shaffer DL but I encourage people to explore the site.

Matt, I always feel that many hands make light work. My nurse practitioner was instrumental in all of this. She was German and her methods really worked for me. Also - about 5 weeks after leaving the hospital - I was recovering from a bladder infection and sort of having my own pity party - I realized that I had the choice of getting better or just staying this way and dying. I began walking. A little at first with a cane. Then more as time went by. Just getting outside in the spring was very helpful.BTW: I entered the hospital on a Friday. On Monday morning the ER doctor came in to visit and informed me that the creatinine had dropped from 15 to 5. He looked relieved.I was in such good hands throughout that ordeal.

Posted by BlackKnigh on 2014-07-19 22:01:34

15?!? That is amazing. So glad to hear that you have recovered from that incident. The human body really is amazingly resilient and adapative, not to mention the continued improvements in medical knowledge and technology. My biggest mental hurdle is reminding myself that dialysis options today are much improved compared to what my father faced 20 years ago (and hopefully they will be even better by the time I need it). Same thing for transplants, especially with the possibilities of either 3D printed kidney's made with the recipient's DNA or implantable mechanical replacements. The idea of being able to replace diseased organs with fresh, healthy "cloned" copies is pure science fiction, but we may see it within our lifetime. And who knows, in a generation or two they may be able to correct the genetic mutation in the embryo so the diseases never develop in the person (though that kind of ability raises some serious ethical questions)

Posted by MattR on 2014-07-19 17:18:19

Excellent excellent article, Doc. This one's a keeper to my files. Hemp could be a high value crop for the farmers in this country. They are always looking for that. Hemp was utilized heavily during WWII. Shortly afterward - as Doc Ponderosa says - Dupont did its thing - and eventually it was outlawed. Thanks.

Posted by BlackKnigh on 2014-07-19 15:29:50

Matt, I hope it is OK to mention my own experience here. In Feb of 2008 - I was admitted to the hospital with near kidney failure. There was something wrong with my bladder and the liquid was backing up into my kidneys causing them to begin the shut down process. The creatinine level was 15. I was extremely anemic and 129 lbs. I couldn't keep food down. My body began feeling better as soon as my bladder was drained of the 2 liters of fluid. I spent 11 days in the hospital and was released without a determination of the cause for the bladder failure. The urologist said there was no blockage - which often happens with older men. I was 59 at the time.I employed the help of a nurse practitioner and energy healing work. I gradually regained my strength. In August of 2009 - I was feeling pretty good again so I went back to my primary care physician for a blood test so that I could give blood again. The blood test showed that I was healthy again. My doctor told me that the first time he saw me in 2008 - he thought this guy has bad kidneys. He said that they look fine now. (When I saw him a couple of months ago showing him the new test results which included a creatinine level of 1.5, I told him what the level was when I was admitted to the hospital. He replied that anything over 10 is pretty much unheard of. He gave me a wondering look like "why are you still alive?".)My nurse practitioner keeps telling me how lucky I am to be alive and how fortunate I am not to require dialysis. I am indeed very fortunate and grateful to be alive. Good luck in your healing process. It was important for me to think of myself as someone getting better rather than someone who was ill.

Posted by BlackKnigh on 2014-07-19 13:50:55

A great read on the Duponts is Nader's "The Corporate State". I grew up in Delaware and the family (who made their fortune in gunpowder) was once the biggest employer, owned the newspaper, and sat in the governors office. All the first synthetic fibers came from their labs, Nylon, rayon, orlon, etc.

Posted by iamafreeman on 2014-07-19 03:19:21

Hopefully you find a qualified psychiatrist. Nowhere in my comment was I judging you. Don't respond to me anymore.

Posted by Yahmule on 2014-07-19 03:07:11

It isn't curing cancer now, I hope it does but I'll believe it when I see it. I never said it killed people I said some idiot found a way to kill himself with it, there is a big difference between the two. I was never trolling I just shared my honest reaction. It seems like you are too close to this to be rational so I am going to move on.

Posted by Fan in Exile on 2014-07-18 22:38:34

Doc I am not sure why you can't understand the point that I am making. It has nothing to do with what I like believing or even the chemistry involved. So all of your responses have missed the point and proven nothing. You said six thousand years and not one death. I said you don't have the historical documentation to probe that. So either provide six thousand years of documentation or stop wasting my time. An argument from authority is always a fallacy and always unsound. Why can't you see that?

Posted by Fan in Exile on 2014-07-18 22:30:32

All of which means absolutely nothing. This isn't a generality - it's a specific. There's plenty of research - which you've never bothered to actually read - to support what I've said.

At this point, you're simply acting like an uneducated and irrational troll. You think it should be researched, but you haven't read any of that, so you don't know what is or isn't true. You think it can kill people, but you have no idea how (and it can't, as Doc P and I have both noted). You don't believe that it can cure cancer, but the surgeon who said below:

You don't know anything about the subject, but you keep posting comments. I have no reason to discuss this with you further - it's a clear waste of time.

Posted by Doc Bear on 2014-07-18 22:27:45

Either you ARE saying it's toxic - in which case you're holding out, with zero evidence, that people can die from an overdoes - or you're not and people can be dumb. Yes they can. And no, you can't die from an overdose.

Your statement that an appeal to authority is weak lacks perspective. Of course I appeal to authority - to a decades long study of research, evidence, clinical experience and courses in human physiology and organic chemistry, among them. Can you seriously not understand that these are essential to understanding the argument at hand?

I've read the translations of dozens of clinical reports from many of the best physicians in China - people who were performing successful brain tumor removals under full anesthesia in the 10th century with no infection and full recovery of the patient. I've listed a group of other, relate Western research. You can read for yourself the comments of a surgeon and a highly qualified physician who runs the peer-review committee of a major hospital as well as one of their ICUs.

Your only argument seems to be that you don't like believing any of this. You don't offer a shred of evidence - which is anything but rational or logical. Unless you have something with any basis at all to say, I'm not going to bother responding further. Frankly, you can lead a horse to water, but he might still kick you in the head. Either read the links and studies (which you obviously haven't done) and develop a better argument than "I don't like it" or quit wasting my time.

Posted by Doc Bear on 2014-07-18 22:20:41

Hopefully you have learned not to judge people because of word choice. My point was that I don't want to get so caught up in terminology that we forget those who use it in a bad. Again not blaming the mj just the misuse of it.

Posted by Fan in Exile on 2014-07-18 22:12:41

Doc you missed my argument about sources hopefully the explanation below simplifies it for you. About the cancer point I don't think it's strange that it might, and I certainly hope all this potential does work out. I am saying that too many people have promised panaceas without delivering for me believe they will work. At a certain point when people keep adding possible cures it just comes off less believable to me. A lot of things are promising before research is done. To be clear I do think it should be researched, used medicinally, and to a limited extent recreationally.

Posted by Fan in Exile on 2014-07-18 22:09:40

An argument from authority is a logical fallacy and looks pretty bad on an otherwise rational individual Doc. Worse it doesn't even address the premise of my argument which deals with historical documentation and not biochemical. So consider the math, you have what ten historical sources. That is one source for the entire planet for every six hundred years of the time frame you are talking about. That is not meaningful documentation. Your claim of six thousand years without a death is grand in scope and without meaningful support. Further it is the type of argument that anyone used to evaluating historical claims would immediately red flag. The arguments about toxicity and mmj benefits are enough without trying to gild the Lilly. Again it isn't that I am uneducated of something it's that I am educated about what we can and cannot reasonably say about history. As an aside I think it also underestimates people's stupidity. I would bet that some idiot somewhere managed to kill himself with it. Again not saying it's toxic just that people can be really dumb.

Posted by Fan in Exile on 2014-07-18 22:02:02

Trazodone is not an effective sedative as it's effects rarely last longer than 2 weeks. Also it's side effect profile is far worse than ambien including priapism which I certainly wouldn't wish on anyone of the male gender.

Posted by DocPonderosa on 2014-07-18 18:51:01

Thanks, DocP - that's a new one on me. It's ironic that so many products made with petroleum can be replaced with equal or better ones made with hemp.

Posted by Doc Bear on 2014-07-18 18:01:08

So do I. There are even houses in Scotland built with 'hempcrete'. It's cheap, a good insulator, versatile and extremely functional. You'll have to remind the neighbors that they can't smoke it, but it's otherwise very useful.

The list of hemp uses just goes on and on. It could help restart our economy if the government gets its collective cranium out of its rectum.

Posted by Doc Bear on 2014-07-18 17:57:52

On a totally different subject - USA reports:

Both Thomases are entering the final years of their rookie contracts, Demaryius as a first-round pick from 2010, and Julius as a fourth-rounder in 2011. They combined for 157 catches, 2,218 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns in Denver's record-setting offense last year.

The Broncos declined to continue contract talks into training camp two years ago with left tackle Ryan Clady (he reached a long-term deal with the team last July after receiving the franchise tag), but Elway said he won't break off talks with either Thomas until early August.

My own, young pain doc has refused care to many patients on a weird belief. He thinks that despite the legality of THC in California, he's also become convinced that the DEA will someday kick in his door and take away his licence, just for treating a pain patient who used a legal substance. I've been educating him on THC and CBD - he's still uncomfortable wit the very mention of THC, but has given up trying to tell me not to use it (it works better, has less side effects and until the advent of CBD, was the best med I had access to).

He won't recommend CBD, much less THC, but he's at least admitted that I may not need medication if this trend continues. Someday, perhaps he'll share that understanding with the patients who are suffering so needlessly.

Posted by Doc Bear on 2014-07-18 17:52:08

Hear, hear. We so often are misled by the small number of wealthy Canadians who come to the US for certain treatments (which they could get in their turn in Canada, but wish sooner, which I have no problem with) that we are not aware of how many US citizens go into Canada to get treatments that they cannot obtain in the US (the lady whose house I share has dual citizenship with Canada as well, so this isn't something I'm unaware of). We have considered moving there for similar reasons.

The former Prime Minister of Canada was asked how they could spend so much on healthcare. She replied that they paid to care for people first and then for bombs and guns, while the US has the opposite philosophy. Ouch. She's not far off.

Posted by Doc Bear on 2014-07-18 17:46:27

I have had the great fortune to enlighten several of the pain mgt doctors in my area They used to discharge a patient if they showed marijuana on a drug screen now they will see them if they have a legal medical marijuana card and are using it as part of their treatment protocol. In fact several have become my largest referrers. I have noticed a great change in my source of new patients over the last 6 years. 25% of my new patients are now physician referrals. So we are making progress educating our fellow practitioners. This was a brilliant article by the way. MMJ is certainly needed as an accepted treatment in sports. I always remember Kenny Easley's renal failure secondary to Advil. We must continue to educate.

Posted by mauibroncofan on 2014-07-18 17:33:00

Yeah, it is a huge sacrifice for a family to make (I think there was recently a little girl from here in NJ whose family had to move to CO to get the MJ treatment she needs, I believe for Dravet's) but at least the option exists for some (who can afford to make the move). I have always been lucky to know that I had the option of moving north of the border due to my dual Canadian citizenship, which was especially comforting pre-ACA when my pre-existing condition would have screwed me if I lost my job and had to get insurance on the open market. And unlike others with chronic conditions, Medicare will cover the costs of dialysis and/or a transplant regardless of age.

Posted by MattR on 2014-07-18 17:31:23

Good recommendation. The Marijuana Policy Project is a very good organization, and I'd highly recommend it as well.

If you'll drop me an email, I'd be glad to respond. It's good to have other docs weighing in on a topic this important.

Posted by Doc Bear on 2014-07-18 17:17:57

Thanks for handling that one, DocP. I've found that many docs also prefer Trazadone to Ambien, although I've found Ambien to be more effective (and for a longer period of time). I just take a week occasionally and use a different sleep med, at which point the Ambien works perfectly again.

Posted by Doc Bear on 2014-07-18 17:16:06

Fedaiken, I hope she gets the help she needs. I'd like to point something out - CBD do not work like drugs. You don't take them, get a result and then have it fade. You take them daily for at least a month (or three, preferably) and see if your symptoms have reduced. In my case it was much faster, but that's not always the case. Many people do very well, but take a few weeks to get the full effect.

Posted by Doc Bear on 2014-07-18 17:12:49

I see an average of 8 patients a day that have moved to Colorado for treatment of their illnesses with medical marijuana. It is a huge sacrifice for many. Moms moving here with kids, families separated, entire lives uprooted. But until this gets taken care of by each state at the state level it will continue. At least there is an option and someplace you can go to get treatment

Posted by mauibroncofan on 2014-07-18 17:08:29

And I'd look forward to it :D

Posted by Doc Bear on 2014-07-18 17:00:04

Please finish your comment, and my compliments to you. I've been rejected by pain docs for using MMJ, but it helped enormously - and still does when a pain flare does get bad. I often recommended MMJ before CBD were available. It wasn't legal, but when you see the suffering in the oncology wards, if you're not moved, you're not human. Thank you - and each person here who has done so - for sharing your story.

Posted by Doc Bear on 2014-07-18 16:54:06

sorry my ipad locked up. average patient is 50. I am so happy you found the beneficial effects of MMJ Doc. I have been reading your articles with great delight since you wrote on MHR. I feel remiss that I did not email you years ago on this subject. One never knows how people will take it. Like Jerry Maguire said Its all about the money. Marijuana donates very little to candidates compared to law enforcement private prisons pharmaceuticals. For those of you that want further continuing info there is a great app for iphone and android -- cannabisnewspro. it costs $2.99. It will give you all the worldwide cannabis info daily from about 20 different sites. I would also urge all of you interested in advancing Medical cannabis to join Marijuana Policy Project. Go to marijuanapolicyproject.org.

Posted by mauibroncofan on 2014-07-18 16:49:26

As a physician that has recommended marijuana medically for decades, legally for the last 12 years, full time for the last 6 years I have been able to follow thousands of patients on it for decades. As it is a class 1 drug I could go to prison if I were to publish any results. One case in point is the recent firing of Dr. Sue Sisley, psychiatrist, Arizona University, after a long battle to win approval for a study of MMJ effects on PTSD. Republican senators, state and federal, tried to stop it. Finally they did stop her by threatening University of Arizona funding and she was fired last week. I started recommending MMJ in 1968 for flashbacks from Vietnam. (I have seen an average of 11 Iraqi/Afghanistan veterans a day for the last 5 years with PTSD so this is particularly onerous to me). I saw the effect on blood sugar and the lowering of insulin doses years ago but couldn't say anything. The same with epilepsy, pain, HIV, migraines, rheumatoid arthritis,SLE. The list is too long to go on. I have seen multiple biopsy proven skin cancers totally cured without surgery (and I am a surgeon). Most os my patients are on edibles, the beauty of having dispensaries. The average cookie has 100 mg THC.reatment dose to start is 1/8 of a cookie or 12.5 mg daily at bed time. Because it is in the oil and must be digested it takes 45-60 minutes to take effect. The patient is home in bed so there are no side effects. After two weeks we start experimenting with daytime tinctures (drops under the tongue of a concentrated solution) or suckers or candies. Most of my patients don't smoke it. They are warned that if they feel high they are overdosing for medical purposes. My average patien

Posted by mauibroncofan on 2014-07-18 16:31:20

Thanks for that info. It was kinda what I thought and was surprised the doctor went in that direction. But I wasn't positive enough to really question/push the issue. As I mentioned below, I hope to be seeing a PKD specialist in the near future and will ask about that.

Posted by MattR on 2014-07-18 16:12:51

That's crazy since ambien is safer than xanax and actually more mild. Also the neurons that it acts on reset every 24 hours which means you do not develop the same long lasting effect you do with xanax on the benzodiazepine receptors. As a sleep specialist, I greatly prefer ambien, although there can be amnesia and occasional sleep behavior problems with it. You become tolerant to the effects of xanax much quicker than with ambien.

Posted by DocPonderosa on 2014-07-18 16:02:26

Thankfully my RLS is not that bad other than the occassional flareup, though having seen my father and others I know how bad it can get and am definitely looking to get ahead of the curve when it comes to treatment. I am glad to hear that CBD has helped you get that under control, among other things.

But I am probably going to hold off on getting any for now. I am applying to be part of the new Tolvaptan trials and want to see what restrictions there are for that. Even if I decline the study, it will be worth it to get a full work up and consultation with one of the experts at the Rogosin Institute.

Posted by MattR on 2014-07-18 15:14:22

My one complaint about my PCP/nephrologist is that he is reluctant to prescribe Ambien and other sleep aids. They don't work 100% of the time, but they are generally very effective. Instead he has me on Xanax which works well enough with the MJ, other than having to gradually increase the Xanax dosage. As for the smoking, I do have a bit of a chronic cough but IMO it is a minor side effect for the relief (and enjoyment) it provides. I also keep my doctor fully in the loop and he can't notice any change in my lungs over the past 10 years. Even before that I had been disabused of the "official" dangers of MJ. I seem to recall one study that showed that people who smoked MJ and tobacco were less likely to get lung cancer than people who only smoked tobacco,

Posted by MattR on 2014-07-18 15:14:19

Thanks. Luckily things have not progressed too far for me yet. The hard part is figuring out whether changes are due to the disease, getting near 40 or being out of shape and not exercising enough.

But having said that, I need to urge everyone to become an organ donor and make sure your relatives know your wishes. One day, 3D printing may provide the miracles we need, but for now there are tens of thousands of people waiting for organs of all types.

Posted by MattR on 2014-07-18 15:14:17

Matt, thank you for having the courage to share your story (Doug actually talked me into adding my own - I wouldn't have without his encouragement).

My disease also involves RLS, and it's very, very real. I've been up for days w/o sleep due to it. I hope this helps you - happily, CBD are legal everywhere now. They've almost eliminated that problem for me.

Posted by Doc Bear on 2014-07-18 14:26:47

What's wrong with those people?

Posted by Yahmule on 2014-07-18 14:24:12

Outrageous? I've studied this for years and collected research from a wide variety of sources. What you're missing is a medical education. There is no chemical pathway for cannabis to cause death, period. Please either prove that wrong or accept that you're simply under-educated on the subject. Do you have training in biochem or medicine? Otherwise, it's just your opinion, but based on nothing.

I wish you well.

Posted by Doc Bear on 2014-07-18 14:23:56

Fan, some of your points are well taken. Your insistence that since you're unaware of the issue that no deaths have - or ever will - come from overdose is misguided, but you'll have to do that research yourself.

There will be problems with cannabis legalization. People will drive under the influence. Some will not want to quit despite a negative effect on their lives. Those things have to be dealt with - and I've said so for decades.

But that's a drop in the bucket compared to putting over 750,000 people in jail - most of them black or Latino, although white people in the same age brackets use more cannabis then those two groups do. Our drug 'war' has been an utter disaster in terms of money, time, and the loss of people's lives. We have 5% of the world's population and 25% of its prisoners. That's insane.

Work with the cases that need help, but make it a public policy issue. The law enforcement model has failed.

As far as the big corps, I'm unconcerned right now. You can grow cannabis in the garage. Any small lab can manufacture CBD, now that the hybridization has been achieved.

Posted by Doc Bear on 2014-07-18 14:19:45

Man, it always comes back to the big corporations, doesn't it.

Posted by Carsonic on 2014-07-18 14:18:50

Well, I did notice that research was the primary theme of your post. You also talked about addiction/dependency/habituation, which are the red herrings that the government has traditionally used to stigmatize cannabis. The substance was originally made illegal to easily felonize blacks and Mexicans about 100 years ago, but that wasn't a sufficient enough deterrent for every demographic, thus the campaign to demonize it as an addictive gateway drug.

Posted by Yahmule on 2014-07-18 14:17:44

Bill, I'll take the second one first. You can get it at http://hempmedspx.com/. I tend to prefer the peppermint = the natural flavor isn't very pleasant.

Thanks for asking about me. Last week I unloaded an 80 lb air conditioner from the car and slid it onto a furniture dolly. I rolled it into the house, and had no pain. I did need help getting it up the stairs, but last year I could only lift about 20 lb without pain. Several of my shirts no longer fit, and that's just fine with me. I'm off or on minimal doses of most of the meds I was on, and rarely have the insomnia that's normal to this disease. The only two things that we've changed are the CBD (which my procedures doc is intrigued with) and the RF pulse injections (stimulation, really, but they use the term injection) that are also very helpful.

Posted by Doc Bear on 2014-07-18 14:13:38

If it's any consolation, Dr Tashkin and I have discussed the adverse effect of marijuana smoke on the lungs and there is no evidence it can lead to COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) like tobacco smoke does in susceptible individuals. Some bronchitis with chronic cough has been described, but those affects can be moderated by water pipes or vaporizers. RLS is very real and causes untold suffering among those who have to deal with it. The medications I have to use to treat it have significant side effects and become progressively less effective over time. I'm so glad you're receiving beneficial effects from your alternative therapy.

Posted by DocPonderosa on 2014-07-18 14:06:58

I hope you get the chance to medicate with legal CBD very soon, Matt. Good luck with your condition.

Posted by Yahmule on 2014-07-18 14:05:07

I clearly think that more research should be done so I am not sure how this is a reply to my comment.

Posted by Fan in Exile on 2014-07-18 14:05:05

Cjfarls you clearly did not understand my point. All I am saying is that outrageous claims on either side make their points less believe able. I am not saying anything about the magnitude of the risk, or that it should be treated differently from other drugs. Further your point about not one documented case is limited at best, because of the poor documentation out there. In a lot of cases the exact cause of death is unknown. Look into the autopsy problem that our country has.

Posted by Fan in Exile on 2014-07-18 14:04:08

The problem with this argument is that the powers that be have had every incentive for decades to document any deaths from marijuana.... and millions of folks have been using it, sometimes problematically. Yet still, there is not one clearly documented case opponents to legalization can point to. That tells me that if there is a risk (and I do think some of the varporizer/high concentration candy/etc. are a risk), it is WAY less than other legal drugs.

Legal drug doesn't mean harmless drug. Alcohol and tobacco are certainly far from harmless. But treating MJ any different than those similar (and maybe more harmful) recreational substances seems completely without basis... add the beneficial effects that MMJ/CBD may have and the current policies of the federal government and NFL just seem plain silly.

Posted by cjfarls on 2014-07-18 13:50:08

I guess I will share a bit about myself. I suffer from Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) which as the name implies means that multiple cysts are growing in my kidneys and will gradually reduce their ability to filter waste to the point that I will most likely need dialysis and a transplant. A typical kidney is roughly the size of a fist while the kidneys of PKD patients grow to the size of a football. (A neat side note is that new Saints cheerleader Kriste Lewis has been in the news recently both because she made the team as a 40 year old and because she has PKD. She does not appear to be too far along in the disease because you can't see any visible belly bulge - which can be embarrassing for a lot of women because people assume they are pregnant) Obviously, the growth of the kidneys puts pressure on the other internal organs around them and chronic pain is a typical problem for a PKD patient (in addition to more extreme pain caused by kidney stones, rupturing cysts and other fun things of that nature). Having been given a percocet prescription for my pain issues, I can easily see how people become addicted. Despite my best efforts to only take it when absolutely necessary, it can be hard to resist the urge to take a pill to deal with more minor pain (instead of just taking Tylenol or sucking it up and fighting through it). As is usually the case with addiction, the more recently I have taken a percocet the greater the temptation to take another one I don't really need. I don't know that CBD/THC can help with the kind of pain I am dealing with, but even if it can't help me, my experience with percocet makes me recognize the value of MMJ for others as a pain alternative to more extreme, more addictive options.

One of the wonderful side effects of PKD is Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), which despite being the butt of pretty much every comedians' jokes about drug companies creating a disease to sell you a cure, is actually quite real. It is a hard disease to descibe but you get a creeping feeling in your legs that I equate to a buildup of energy that can only be released by moving those muscles. For whatever reason, the symptoms appear more frequently in the evening and night making it very hard to relax and lie still in order to go to sleep (airplane rides can be fun too). For some it continues into sleep with muscle contractions and involuntary leg movements while sleeping. (My father slept in a different room from my mother for the last 5-10 years before he had a transplant because his tossing and turning were so disruptive to her sleep) This is where cannabis can be quite helpful. It doesn't work 100% of the time, but I generally find I get to sleep much easier and more quickly if I am able to smoke before bed time. If I am somewhere that is not possible and I am forced to solely rely on a prescription alternative, it can take me several hours to get to sleep (which includes getting out of bed several times to walk around or otherwise exercising the muscles - which is why you will sometimes see comments from me at 2, 3 or even 4 am Eastern time) The idea of being able to switch to legal CBD instead of illegal marijuana is intriguing as is the idea of being able to get the relief with a liquid instead of damaging my lungs by smoking (and yes, I know I can alleviate some of that by using a vaporizer)

Posted by MattR on 2014-07-18 13:47:27

Thanks Doc. You made me blush.A little known fact of prohibition involves the Dupont Corporation who had developed a fiber called nylon which they felt had significant advantages over hemp rope and wanted the government to change to it. They lobbied heavily to outlaw hemp in the narrow self interest of improving their profit margins by having nylon become the new standard for rope applications. Of course the lobbying efforts focused on the use by minorities and the laughable addiction risk and danger to our youth.

Posted by DocPonderosa on 2014-07-18 13:45:38

The big stumbling block to research of cannabis has always been the US government. As Doc pointed out, unless the research is negatively slanted, they're simply not interested in funding it.

Wonderfully educational and well written as always; more importantly, I am thrilled to hear about your personal progress and wish you nothing but the best…btw…i've got a couch and dresser than need to be moved - i'll count you as willing & able to help!

Posted by Ralph_W on 2014-07-18 13:21:24

Doc thanks for this I appreciate it, but I remain skeptical. First some of the claims seem too good to be true. You said there were no deaths in 6,000 years in part one which seems so completely undocumented and unprovable I don't think it can be true. Even the statement that there are no documented deaths is essentially meaningless considering how few documents we have over that time frame much less ones concerned with marijuana. Second I have been alive long enough to have seen many claims about extraordinary cure come to naught after more research has been done. So claiming that it might help/fix/cure so many things even cancer just leaves me more skeptical. I would say that it's use as a pain killer is more than enough for further research. Third whether it's an addiction/dependency/habituation there are people who despite the negative impact on their lives have not been able to give up use of it. It's a problem that needs to be addressed. Along those same lines it would seem to me that we also should be concerned about those who use it as a mal adaptive coping mechanism. I don't mean recreational users or medical uses but those who mess up their lives by using it as an escape. Finally some thought should be given about what it will become. 5 percent to 28 percent is a huge jump how far will it go? Further what happens when big corporations become involved? Consider what happened to cigarettes, what kind of additives or genetic modifications might be made. This shouldn't stop legalizing it or research but should be stopped before it starts.

Posted by Fan in Exile on 2014-07-18 13:07:48

I have this same question myself. My wife suffers from migraines and depression. Due to the prozac she takes for depression/anxiety, she cannot take the migraine medicine that used to work like a miracle (imitrex I believe). I am an avid cannabis user, but she has not enjoyed the effects of THC, as they tend to amplify her anxiety. I'm really excited to see if CBD can help her with one or both of these issues, and lower her intake of pills.

Posted by Fedaiken on 2014-07-18 12:55:58

Wow, Doc, you blinded me with science. ;)

Seriously, great stuff, very illuminating. So many positive qualities.(I've also seen some of the negative effects for certain people, including an inability to focus or to hold jobs reliably, but for them the other choices psychologically may have been even worse.)

Now if only they could make weed smoke smell less like a skunk's bottom, I'd be even more sold!

Posted by underdog on 2014-07-18 11:41:36

Doc I loved this article and the 1st part. Hopefully this country will come to it's senses soon. I remember being convinced on this subject in the early 70s when a young hippie; talking to the hemp promoting guys back then. So much more is known today. How are you doing as you try CBD for yourself. How can I obtain it for my wife.

Posted by BillW on 2014-07-18 11:27:47

Doc, What an outstanding and educational read!! THANK YOU!

Posted by RagnarRagnarsson on 2014-07-18 10:51:24

I had no idea hemp oils could be used in making plastics. I know that was but a very small point in a large article and has nothing to do with the thesis, but I found that fascinating.

Posted by Hank Mardukis on 2014-07-18 10:48:32

I work in a head shop in Denver and every day i meet people and hear how weed has improved there quality of life.

Posted by Mile"High"in303 on 2014-07-18 10:23:12

Nearly speechless. Definitely blown away. Count me as one of those who've previously been incredulous at best about the motives of those pursuing hemp and medical marijuana. The harder my friends argue for it, the more I kidded them. I've never seen it laid out like this, Doc. My view on this has completely changed. Now I can only think of all the people I know/knew who have lived in pain most of their lives, who clearly could have benefitted from CBD. It's deeply moving to contemplate. Thanks for that detailed analysis. Just remarkable.